Image Credit: Charlie Kirk / Facebook & capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Paula Gomes] –
A pair of Republican lawmakers have introduced legislation that would create a “Charlie Kirk Memorial Courtyard for Civil Debate” on the campus at every public university in Tennessee.
Senator Mark Pody (R-Lebanon-District 17) is sponsoring Senate Bill 1959 (SB1959) with Representative Monty Fritts (R-Kingston-District 32) as the sponsor of House Bill 2025 (HB2025).
According to the text of the pair of bills, the board of regents, each state university board, and the board of trustees for the University of Tennessee system would be responsible for the creation and maintenance of the courtyard on the main campus of each public institution of higher education “to remind students, faculty, staff, and visitors of the value of civil discourse and to encourage those who visit the courtyard to exchange differing ideas and opinions with civility and respect.”
Each courtyard would be required to measure forty feet by forty feet “or any reasonable configuration of those dimensions so long as the total dimensions of the courtyard are no less than one thousand six hundred square feet.”
Other requirements for the courtyard include displaying “the declaration of rights in Article I of the Tennessee Constitution in its entirety on the northern side of the courtyard,” along with “the Ten Commandments in their entirety on the southern side of the courtyard.” In addition to these, the Bill of Rights would be displayed on the eastern side, and the Declaration of Independence on the western side.
Other instructions are listed for the displays, along with requirements that they be constructed to withstand weather conditions and include the date of Kirk’s death.
The proposed legislation would allow the use of “gifts, donations, and grants of money, property, and services for purposes of designing, installing, and maintaining” the courtyard which would be required to be installed on each campus and open to students, faculty, staff, and visitors by December 31, 2026.
About the Author: Paula Gomes is a Tennessee resident and reporter for The Tennessee Conservative. You can reach Paula at paula@tennesseeconservativenews.com.
